NCAA Championship Review

 (University of Florida 2012 NCAA Outdoor and Indoor NCAA Champions)

(Photo belongs to the Orlando Sentinel)

So the year for collegiate athletes for the most part has ended. For many seniors it was their last meet as an athlete forever, for a small and blessed few it was a step into the professional circuit. This past season majority of the top programs experienced a myriad of up and downs, based on a single injury or two teams dropped out of the top three discussion into a bottom feeder. No team faced more adversity this outdoor season than the University of Florida.

The season began for the Florida Gators as expected. They were the top ranked program with a solid of group of individual athletes that combined to form a great team. The first major loss of the season was the reigning SEC Champion in the decathlon in Gray Horn. Horn injured himself at the indoor NCAA Championships and that garnered a DUI right before the SEC Outdoor Championships and was suspended from the team.

Jeff Demps the top collegiate sprinter and headliner of the Florida Gators suffered a hamstring strain before the SEC Championships and could not go. After the preliminary round Demps was suffering again from hamstring issues and ended his senior season. The other bad news was that the 4x100 relay was unable to get the baton around at the NCAA preliminaries and dropped the baton to be disqualified.

History seemed like it was going to repeat itself. Florida had been in this position all too often. They begin the season only to stumble across the finish line and miss the gold. Florida has been 2nd at the NCAA meet three straight years in a row. It seemed hopeless, they had to be picture perfect in order to win the title and have a little help along the way.

Tony McQuay the teams most outstanding performer continued to impress. McQuay ran a solid 400 meter race finishing with a strong kick to clock in 44.58 to win the NCAA title and give 10 much needed points to the Florida Gators. The LSU Tigers did not make it easy on the Gators by scoring heavily in the short sprints, including another 4x100 relay victory with a time of 38.38. The team consisted of Barret Nugent, Aaron Earnest, Keyth Talley and Shermund Allsop.

The triple jump proved to be another key event for the Gators. Junior leader Omar Craddock claimed the nations top mark in the Triple Jump leaping to a mark of 55-6 1/4. Fellow jumper freshman Marquis Dendy was unable to score in either the long jump and triple jump leaving the Gators worried because points were at a premium.

Meanwhile the Lady Tigers of LSU made a serious statement. They were reminding everyone that they are the greatest women's track and field program in NCAA history and hears why. The sprints were the teams bread and butter and usually. Star Kimberlyn Duncan again finished second in the women's 100 meter dash running into a strong headwind to clock in at 11.16. Sophomore sensation from Oregon English Gardner lead the way in the 100 clocking in at 11.10. In the 200 Duncan would again display that powerful finish clocking in at 22.85 running into a strong headwind. Duncan also carried the 4x100 relay team to victory in a time of 42.75.

Similar to that of the women's program the LSU men were looking to score major points in the sprints. Freshman Aaron Ernest lead the way, scoring big points in the 200 meter dash by finishing 5th earning four points. Both the Gators and Tigers entered the 4x400 relay event with a chance to win the meet. The Gators had a total of 40 points and LSU had 42 points. If Florida won and LSU finished 2nd they would share the title. If Florida finished less than LSU in any position the Tigers win the title. In order for Florida to win the event outright they had to finish two positions ahead of LSU.

That was going to be a challenge for the Gators since LSU had a formidable 4x400 relay squad that challenged Florida in every meet. However thanks to a solid anchor by Tony McQuay the relay squad set a school record clocking in at 3:00.02 and USC surpassing LSU for 2nd place. This allowed Florida to score a total of 50 points to 48 points score by LSU. The Gators had finally won the title and broke the 2nd place curse.

The Lady Tigers just continued to pour it on. The gathered their top 400 runners and put together a school record breaking 4x400 relay squad. However that was not enough to win the event but enough to add the icing on the cake for another team title. Oregon claimed the event in a meet record of 3:24.54, the quartet including four amazing sophomores in English Gardner, Laura Roesler, Chizoba Okodogbe and Phyllis Francis. With so many graduating from LSU, Oregon seems like the next program to break the 2nd place curse. The Ducks also watched as Brianne Theisen again claimed the title in the heptathlon just shy of the NCAA record.

Other memorable performances from a great meet include Cameron Levins of Southern Utah who out-kicked Paul Chelimo of UNC-Greensboro and Lawi Lalang of Arizona with the top time of 13:40.05. Charles Jock of UC-Irvine led wire-to-wire in the 800 meter run to claim the title in 1:45.59. Brigetta Barrett of Arizona won the high jump with a mark of 6-4 and had a great clearance over the bar, expect for Barrett to earn a personal best this season and make the Olympic team.

Although the meet had all the bells and whistles of great television. There were many dissapointements for me. It was upsetting to know the meet would be placed on ESPNU and no longer on CBS. While on CBS the meet was given  fair airtime and was available on a national television network that everyone has access to with a television. Not only is ESPN cable but ESPNU is premium cable further shrinking the audience to watch such a spectacular meet and taking away an important meet to those who cannot afford ESPNU.

Finally it was disappointing that the NCAA committee again selected Des Moines, Iowa to host the meet. Again the stands look empty and the people of Iowa look disinterested. I hope that the NCAA will open up their eyes and start having the meet placed a track and field location not a football stadium. Locations such as Eugene Oregon Hayward Field, Icahn Stadium in New York, Percy Beard Track at the University Florida and a host of others. Hopefully the committee will wise up and keep the track and field fan's interest at heart and not their hopeful wallets.

(LSU 2012 Women's NCAA Outdoor Champions)